ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Cities in the ASEAN region are increasingly connected by air.
Most recently, AirAsia has officially opened the Jakarta-Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia, flight route on Tuesday, February 6 2024. The inaugural Jakarta-Kinabalu flight took place from Soekarno Hatta International Airport (CGK), landing at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) at 15:55 local time, and was greeted with a water salute.
Jakarta-Kinabalu is Indonesia AirAsia’s first international route this year, as well as being the only direct flight connecting Jakarta to the city widely known as ‘Malaysian Borneo’.
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, said that he hopes that in the future direct flights to the Sabah region from cities in Indonesia will increase.
Request Flights to Bali
Joniston said he was happy with the opening of the new Jakarta to Kinabalu route. He wants AirAsia to offer more direct flights from several Indonesian cities to Sabah in the future.
Bali has also become one of the cities that Sabah is interested in opening direct flights to.
“I hope that after the opening of the Jakarta-Kota Kinabalu route, AirAsia Indonesia will introduce direct flights from other cities to here, one of which is Bali,” said Joniston at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, quoted Friday, February 9 2024.
According to Joniston, Sabah is inhabited by quite a number of Indonesian citizens, reaching around 160,000 people.
“So I am sure that with this direct flight, it will be easier for them to return to their hometowns. We also hope that more Malaysians from Sabah will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia,” he said.
“It’s not just about business. But it’s all about bringing people from both countries together. And of course, in the ASEAN context we want to welcome more flights (direct from Indonesia) to Malaysia,” concluded Joniston.
In a separate statement, Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew said that her party welcomed with joy the inaugural flight of Indonesia AirAsia to Kota Kinabalu.
“This initiative not only strengthens relations between countries, but also opens up new opportunities in the tourism, cultural and economic sectors. Kinabalu City has a unique charm and enchanting natural beauty. We hope this new route can welcome more Indonesian tourists to enjoy the beauty of Sabah tourism,” he said. (AT Network)
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